Broken
by Clarice Sansnom
Summary: When Tony is abducted Bruce gets the chance to infiltrate Hydra and save his friend. In the aftermath of Tony s torture experience Bruce and Tony grow even closer, trying to help each other cope. WARNINGS INSIDE, PLEASE REVIEW.
1. Chapter 1 - Snow

_Warnings: gay bromance stuff, heavy violence, explicit scenes, bad words, basically everything that makes life fun. Enjoy!_

 _Note: This is not my first fanfic, but I am returning from a very, very long pause from writing. Also, I am very slow to update. I try to deliver quality rather than quantitiy. I really do appreciate reviews, criticism is welcome yet encouraged to be phrased to help rather than destroy. Thanks :)_

* * *

Tony screamed as his aching body hit the cold ground. He tried to move but his broken leg wouldn´t let him. He was on the verge of freaking out himself but he needed to pull through this, for him, for both of them to live.

„BRUCE!", he yelled.

The Hulk turned and sniffed over the blood stained body.

„You need to calm down, Bruce! Here, come here!"

Tony reached his good hand out for the Hulk to react to it.

„Come on, big guy, the party is over, I need the human."

The Hulk screamed at him and Tony was still so afraid, so broken in his soul that the terrifying sound shook his body to the bones. With a deep breath he reached for the Hulk´s hand.

„Bruce, I need you, come on, buddy."

The Hulk let out a few angry breaths, then let his body drop onto the frozen leafs and stones right next to Tony.

With a few very painful movements Tony robbed over to him and started touching him more. He needed Bruce to stay conscious, he knew he could pass out any minute now from his blood loss and just everything. Just everything. If it wasn´t his injuries it would be the next panic attack to take him out. So he needed Bruce to mutate back without loosing consciousness. This last challenge. Only this last thing and everything would be alright.

He softly stroked over the green skin on the broad arm to see Bruce´s eye color slowly turning back to normal. He started shivering violently and within moments the big body shrank into the usual almost tiny frame.

Cold sweat on every part of his body, Bruce reached out for Tony and Tony answered the request without hesitation. Bruce was always like this when he came back. Timid and insecure, very much needing the touch of another human. Heavily panting he took Tony´s head into his hand and asked: „What happened? Did I hurt you? Did I do this?"

„No. Don´t worry. You saved me. Thank you."

„You need a doctor."

Bruce eyed Tony thoroughly.

„You do too."

There they lay, both exhausted and injured, Bruce with only a pair of pants on his body, Tony with a few pieces of cloth that used to be a tailored white shirt before the knives had cut it open along with his skin, and shivered in each others arms on the frozen forest ground as the light of the day started to die down over the next hill.

Tony reached for his mouth, opened it as far as he could, pulled at his tooth with force until, with a painful growl, he had pulled it out and raised it over the two of them.

„What is that?", Bruce asked, still quite dizzy and confused.

„It´s a tracker, it´s gonna save us. When you break it open the circuit inside snaps and lets off an emergency signal."

„Why didn´t you do that in first place?"

„I was out when they took me. And then I couldn´t get it out with only my tongue. I had no chance. They even removed my arm tracker."

He held his arm up and showed the wound where they had cut his skin open to take it out. It still bled a little.

Tony felt his senses slip away slowly.

„Bruce, listen." He said. „I am gonna pass out any minute now. Break the tracker and stay awake. Do you hear me? I need you to stay awake till my suits or the others or whoever gets here, ok?"

Bruce nodded and took the tracker from Tony. He hugged Tony closer to keep them warm and broke the little metal tooth between his fingers.

Tony laid his head down onto Bruce´s chest and actually enjoyed the security the guy exuded through his embrace in that moment. He listened to Bruce´s heart beat and closed his eyes.

Bruce felt Tony slip away ever so slowly as his breathing started to flatten out and his body started to shiver slightly more by the minute. He let his eyes wander over the broken body of his friend and felt tears well up inside his throat.

They had cut and beaten him, broken his thigh bone, had taken away everything from him and given him only pain and nightmares to come. His shoulder was graced by a bullet which Bruce pretty sure had been intended to kill him during their escape and a dark spot on his forehead reminded of what Bruce had seen of Tony´s abduction on the surveillance tapes of the house.

He cradled the unconscious Tony inside his arms as he wept about what he hadn´t been able to prevent and hoped for someone to come pick them up in time to save Tony.

* * *

Tony woke up to the familiar interface of one of his suits, mid-air over water, dark in the night. His entire body ached without end and he closed his eyes to escape the nausea.

„Jarvis?"

„Good to have you back, Sir."

„Where am I?"

„Over Lake Michigan, Sir. Would you like to see a map of the route?"

„No, just tell me where we´re going."

„We are going home, Tony, taking you to the hospital. Your plan worked", answered Bruce through the comm. It was only then that Tony recognized another remote controlled suit beside him, assumably carrying Bruce.

„My plans always work. At least I design them to work."

Shortly after, Tony dozed off again.

* * *

Bruce looked at himself in the mirror. All he wanted was to sleep. Every muscle in his body hurt and he still tried to puzzle together what little memory he had of the incident itself. As he washed Tony´s blood off his chest and arms under the hot shower, he recognized dark spots on his skin. They must have given the other guy a lot of trouble.

He pieced together the last thing he remembered from before, dark images of a car battery and loose power cords on the filthy floor and a big bucket of water, or at least it might have been water from the consistency, not the color which was way too dark for water.

He remembered the anger poisoning his veins and the sight of Tony in all of this, tied to a column in the middle of the room, blood dripping from his hanging, unmoving head over a strand of his dark hair to the small spot between his legs, sprawled out over the uneven floor.

Bruce broke down onto the neatly tiled floor of the shower and tried to hold onto something, anything on the too even and smooth walls as his body constricted painfully and he vomited onto the beautiful tiles.

He had seen ugly scenes before. He had been in difficult situations before. He had not remembered before. Why did it bother him so much now?

This was about Tony, not the incident itself. This was about Tony.

Tony had gotten so important to him that he very much feared the other guy would ruin it. And he had been heartbroken, seeing his best friend in this state, he had been so afraid to loose him, he still was and would always be.


	2. Chapter 2 - Sleep

Tony´s breathing was even and peaceful when Bruce entered the room. The soft beeping of the heart monitor set a steady rhythm of life running through the tormented body.

Bruce sat down onto one of the luxurious chairs and watched as Tony´s chest rose and fell, steadily, healthily. He felt a million different things in this moment but the one that would carve into his heart most was relief.

The door opened and a doctor came in. Under a white coat he was wearing very relaxed clothes, basically jeans and T-shirt, and looked very, very young, his blond hair gelled back tidily.

„Oh hello. I didn´t know Mr. Stark had visitors already", he said.

„Yeah, uh, sorry, I dropped him off, actually, yesterday, my name is Bruce Banner, I work with Tony."

Bruce got up and the men shook hands. The doctor smiled.

„I am Mr. Stark´s private physician, Dr. Yamato."

„Can you tell me anything? Is Tony going to be okay?"

The doctor checked a few screens while speaking, taking notes on

„Well, you are the first person besides Ms Potts I have ever met and I have been treating Mr. Stark for over eight years now, so I assume you must be very close to him, for the purpose of this conversation, let´s just say you are his cousin so you are family so I can tell you about his state. Because someone needs to know, Mr. Stark really needs someone to help him through the coming weeks. He will be very much in pain recovering from this. May I ask, what is this actually? Were you with Mr. Stark when he was injured?"

The doctor turned around to look questioningly at Bruce´s bare upper arms that still had quite a few bruises on them that hadn´t disappeared overnight just yet.

„Were you injured too, have you seen a doctor yet? Would you like me to take a look at these for you?"

He pointed at Bruce. It all was too fast for Bruce to comprehend in his emotional state.

„Uh... No, thanks, I should be fine."

„You don´t look fine."

„I am kinda used to things like that."

The doctor knew when to stop asking questions when it came to Tony Stark or any of his acquaintances. A small silence followed.

„Can you tell me how Tony is?"

„Mr. Stark has gone through hours of surgery. We had to reinforce his thigh with a metal plate and several screws attached to the bone. There was quite some damage done to his left arm and wrist. The cut went through a much used tendon and we had to reattach the lose ends. Mr. Stark will need therapy for that even after it has healed in. A rip bone snapped which will be painful but it should heal. Fortunately it did not injure any inner organs. He has a mild concussion which should be gone in a few days. The burns and cuts have been tended to but there will be scarring. We have now attached the body to a few IVs to counteract the malnutrition and dehydration."

Bruce needed to sit down.

„Sir, are you alright?"

„Yeah, yeah."

But he wasn´t. All air had drained from his lungs and his blood froze inside his chest. Why was this so difficult? He was a scientist, for heaven´s sake. He knew Tony would be alright.

„Mr. Stark has suffered quite some severe injuries but he should be fine, eventually. I know, it´s a lot to take in."

„Yeah, it is."

„Would you like me notify Ms Potts?"

„No, please don´t. I don´t think Tony would want her here."

„Have they separated?"

„Yeah, a while ago."

A short silence followed.

„Mr. Banner, Sir, can you tell me how Mr. Stark was injured?"

„I don´t think anyone should know."

„I have seen a lot of injuries, in Mr. Stark´s case mostly from battle but this is different."

„Well, what does it look like?"

„It looks like torture."

„You have answered your own question."

Bruce just sat there staring at Tony.

„Mr. Stark should wake up within the next three hours. When he does, please call in a nurse. Dr. Lange should be on duty today, he will check on Mr. Stark."

„Have you operated on Tony?"

„Yes, I have. Why?"

„You haven´t slept, have you?"

„No. I will now."

„Thank you."

„Mr. Stark is very important. He is one of the few that actually deserve saving. Thank you for bringing him in."

With that Dr. Yamato closed the door behind himself.

Bruce only sat there. He was calm. He was tired. He watched Tony breathe. He waited.

* * *

There was a light when he managed to flicker his eyelids open. He could feel something inside him. It was in his hand. It felt like the reactor. No, it was smaller. He tried to move. He felt the pain rip through him and coughed.

It took him a moment to recognize the voice.

He had heard it before. In the darkness. In the heat. In the cold on the hard forest floor. He remembered.

He remembered himself screaming. He remembered the pain.

He remembered too much. He felt his blood rush through his head and his chest trying to draw in air but it wasn´t enough.

He heard him again.

Saying his name. What else was he saying?

He felt his hand on his cheek. And another one pressing his own hand.

„Open your eyes. Look at me."

He did.

He felt the cold sweat on his forehead and the hand slowly gliding over it. It was comforting.

For a moment he only looked at the dark eyes.

„You´re safe. Relax."

„Bruce?"

His voice came out broken and was almost inaudible.

Bruce reached for a cup and held it to Tony´s lips for him to drink.

The cool water slowly ran down Tony´s throat and cleaned away the dreams he could not remember and the screams he tried to fade out in the back of his mind. He was in a hospital, he was safe.

Tony´s ragged breathing slowly started to calm down and he blinked a few times before he asked: „Were are we?"

„In New York."

„Good."

After a moment he added: „Dude, this whole touching my face thing is getting creepy."

Bruce let go and dropped back into his chair.

* * *

Tony was panting heavily when Bruce woke up. He saw his feverish friend struggle in his sleep, blood seeping through the bandage around his arm.

Bruce tried waking Tony but caught up in fever-driven nightmares he wouldn´t let him. So Bruce just laid a hand on Tony´s forehead in hopes it would calm him.

Tony shivered through his nightmares for hours. Bruce only stood there and held him. He was tired. But he would do whatever it took to keep Tony from harming himself.

* * *

Three mornings in a row Tony had woken up next to an exhausted Bruce holding his hand, sleeping with his body on a chair and his head next to Tony´s leg.

Tony had sent him home to sleep and shower and all that only to not have to look at what he had done to his closest friend. He hated himself for it.

In the afternoon Bruce had shown up again, computer and documents in his hand, had sat down and started working next to Tony.

The third morning Tony had sent Bruce away for good.

To put an end to their discussion he had just said: „Buddy, I can´t watch this any longer. Go, get some work done. I´ll be home in a couple of weeks."

Bruce hadn´t shown up after that.

In the middle of the night Tony had wished for someone next to him. But he always had and now was no different, at least that was what he told himself. He had always managed on his own.


	3. Chapter 3 - Home

Steve leaned against the car in the thick leather jacket. In some corner of his mind he wished he smoked so he could have something to do while he waited.

A nurse accompanied Tony carrying an expensive bag for him. Steve drew in a shaky breath just to not gasp at Tony´s look. He hadn´t seen him for four weeks but from his aura it could have been four years.

Tony looked slim. The muscles on his arms seemed gone and his cheeks looked pale and skinny. He walked down the ramp on his cane with an arm in a sling around his neck.

„Cap."

„Tony."

„I´d salute but my hands are kinda tied."

At least he had just lost weight and not wit.

„How are you feeling?"

„Good, thanks. Like sitting down into a car seat instead of standing around in the cold."

Steve held the door of the passenger seat and watched as Tony contorted his face in pain as he slowly let eased his body into the car. It took Steve quite a bit of restraint to not hold or help or carry his friend into it. But he knew Tony´s gigantic ego would not allow that.

He thanked the nurse and put Tony´s bag on the seat behind him to get into the driver´s seat.

„So? How is life at headquarters?", Tony asked after a few minutes.

„Good, good. We are training and do occasional missions when we need to. A guy who shrinks actually broke into headquarters two weeks ago, he calls himself Ant-Man."

„Ant-Man? What a douche-bag name. If he joins I´m gonna give him a cooler name."

„And how exactly would you have a say in that?"

„I am executive head of recreational activities, superhero development and staff gear design of the Avengers Initiative, didn´t you get the memo?"

„It´s good to have you back, Tony. You know, for a while there, I was pretty concerned with you and Bruce and..."

„Me and Bruce? Why?"

„You sent him away, Tony, that was a very ungentlemanly move."

„Well, good thing I´m not a gentleman."

„You know what I mean, Tony. What happened?"

„I... uh... I couldn´t watch him worry any longer. Also, Bruce can´t be in a hospital for too long, we gotta watch our casualties."

„And since when do you care about casualties? First thing I remember when you met Bruce was you poked him."

Tony stayed silent. He didn´t want to discuss this anymore. He knew he had probably made a mistake there but he couldn´t do anything about it in that moment anyway so screw it.

* * *

„Jarvis? Tell me something. Anything."

„Veronica is almost ready for production, Sir, I have run the final simulations, would you like to see the data?"

„Did everything go as planned?"

„Yes, Sir."

„Then just start production, I trust you about the simulations."

„Thank you, Sir."

„How far is Bruce? Can you show me his work?"

„Sir, have you conversed with Dr. Banner lately?"

„It´s been a while, why?"

„Are you asking me to spy on your friend, Sir? Or have I missed a change in your relationship to Dr. Banner?"

„No, I am asking you to update me on his progress."

„Shouldn´t Dr. Banner update you on his progress himself?"

„Jarvis?"

„Sir?"

„Come on, Jarvis, I am the boss, you do the work, that is why I made you, remember?"

„Dr. Banner has successfully created several serums to counteract the radiation effects since last month."

„What?! How did he do that? Why did you let him?"

„Why did I let him, Sir? You gave permission for Dr. Banner to use our resources for whatever he chooses to work on."

„Yeah, well, I shouldn´t have done that and you knew and didn´t stop me", Tony said as he walked out the lab.

„Was that an accusation, Sir?"

„No, forget it."

* * *

„Hey buddy, what are you working on?"

Bruce spun around, knocking over a glass on his side. It came down with a clank on the grey floor and sprayed the red liquid over his shoes.

„Shit", he said, stepping away in a hurry to pull his shoes off with his feet.

„Hello Tony, how are you, Tony?"

„What is that?", Tony asked, simply ignoring the call for rituals. He didn´t have time for rituals.

„I shouldn´t get that onto my skin, I haven´t tested it yet."

„What is it?"

Bruce stood behind the next console in his socks now.

„A serum."

„What kind of serum?"

Bruce didn´t answer. He just stood there and Tony could see the search for a good answer in his eyes as he skimmed through data on a screen inside his eyes.

„You have been working on a cure", Tony accused him finally.

„Tony, I-"

„No. Don´t even start telling me a lie. You have been working on a cure the moment I was away and you knew it was the only thing I never wanted you to work on."

„So what? Yes, I have been working on a cure. Tony, this is my body, it is my problem, and it is my responsibility to solve it."

„Bruce, there is no solving it, there is no problem."

„Well, you might not see it that way but you don´t live with it 24/7."

They stood and looked at each other.

Then Bruce turned in his spot and walked out the door.


	4. Chapter 4 - Close

„Tony?"

With a jolt, Tony sat up. He felt a muscle in his back stiffen at the sudden move and tried to reach for it, only to startle at the still somewhat unexpected pain from his left hand. He tried to shake the uneven sleep away before Bruce noticed.

„What´s up?", he tried nonchalantly.

„Nothing much", Bruce tried too. „Just dropping by and wondering if you were alright."

„Yeah, why wouldn´t I be?"

„Is that a real question? Because you know why."

„God, Bruce, stop helicopter mom-ing me. I am fine."

He hated this. He wanted to be with Bruce, he wanted to go back to the way things were, he wanted to sleep in peace, for once in his life and not doze off in the lab or the garage or the office to snap awake a few hours later. Too few hours. He wanted to relax, he tried, he wanted to be able to let go. He wanted Bruce not to worry.

He tried to get up but his leg gave out under him and he stumbled into Bruce´s arms. Great.

Bruce could smell the alcohol on his breath.

„Tony, you know that doesn´t mix well."

„I really don´t know what you´re talking about", he said as he pushed himself into balance and out of the embrace he would have wanted to linger in had it not been how it was.

„Tony..."

„Bruce, please, can you stop this shit and just be normal with me, just for once? I... This is driving me crazy." Even Tony noticed his language slurred at some points.

Bruce just stood there and sighed.

„Okay", he said. „You want me to be normal? Here is the deal: You have exactly 20 minutes before you are leaving this lab, taking a shower and coming to the penthouse."

„For?"

„Tuesday Night Dinner."

„I got work to do, Bruce-"

„Don´t even start. You want normal and unconcerned, you are showering and eating with us. I´m cooking."

Tony just stood there. He was pissed. Not just about how Bruce talked to him but about that Bruce made sense. If he wanted normal he would have to commit to a bit of normalcy himself. He hated losing an argument. God, he hated being proven wrong.

Bruce seemed to be able to feel the defeat.

„Jarvis, please make sure that Tony stops working in 20 minutes."

„Don´t you dare, J."

„Actually, Sir, considering your current vital signs and work progress over the last four hours, I would recommend recreational activities for at least two hours."

„Great."

So Tony wrapped up the last calculations and transferred the data to Jarvis for him to run simulations on until he got back.

* * *

Dinner was good. Good company and good food, nice conversation, a bit of normalcy, just like Tony needed.

When he was the last one to get up from the table though, that normalcy ended. The others had retreated to the couch for drinks a while ago, only Bruce and him remaining. Tony made the move to push the chair back when Bruce audibly sucked in a breath.

„What is that?" Bruce´s hand was at his left wrist too fast for him to react.

„Tony, is that blood?" Why did he have to wear a white shirt, for Christ´s sake?

Tony didn´t have an answer. All he knew was that he didn´t want everyone to find out, he wouldn´t have been able to handle it, he would break down in a minute.

Bruce felt Tony retract his arm, then very quickly walk for the door and followed him. He concentrated on breathing, that was all he knew he right now. Whatever had happened to Tony, was happening to Tony, he needed to keep his lid on, or the Other Guy would trash the Tower in minutes.

He followed Tony into the elevator where he didn´t quite catch which button Tony pressed before he said:

„I don´t want the others to know, do you hear me?"

He looked into Bruce´s eyes dead-serious.

„Ok."

Ding.

* * *

The door slid open to the huge living room of Tony´s penthouse. Bruce took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. That were jumping to conclusions already.

Tony walked out and made few steps into the room, Bruce on his heals. He stopped but didn´t turn. Bruce´s heart was hammering in his chest. Tony had never acted this strange before, not around him. He dreaded what was about to come, he feared any information he might gain in the next minutes but he forced the tremor in his hands down and his breathing into normal patterns.

„Let me look at your hand", Bruce tried.

„Stop."

„Stop what? I am trying to help you."

Tony turned around to face him.

„You are treating me like a fragile child."

Bruce tried his best calm voice: „Please let me treat your hand, Tony. That´s all I´m asking."

„Contrary to popular belief I can actually take care of myself, Bruce."

Enough was enough.

„Ok, you know what? You wanna play the „I can take care of myself" card? I don´t care! Do what the fuck you want, Tony! I have tried hard enough! You don´t seem to be able to see that you can trust us, that you can trust me and that you can rely on us to help you through this! But if you wanna drink yourself to death that´s fine with me, I am done!"

Tony looked at him in wild surprise. But not scared. Bruce had just yelled at him at the top of his lungs, a green shimmer on his hands, but Tony still wouldn´t be scared. How?

„I´m sorry," Tony mumbled.

All the tension seemed to leave the room. Had he just apologized? While Bruce was wondering why Tony wasn´t scared Tony had obviously decided to tear his walls down because he started to sob bitterly the moment after he said it.

Before he could turn away though to hide his face in shame, Bruce was right by him to pull him into a hug well needed. For both of them.

„I don´t know what to do, Bruce."

Bruce let his fingers gently glide over Tony´s messy hair to soothe him.

„Why don´t you start with a good night´s sleep?"

He felt Tony nod pressed against his shoulder.

Bruce didn´t ask anymore then. He gently took Tony´s left hand into his and slowly opened the button on the sleeve. Tony still leaned against him in total exhaustion and buried his face in Bruce´s shoulder. Feeling Tony flinch he gently pulled the sleeve up to see what was underneath.

Bruce´s breath caught involuntarily at the sight. The fabric of Tony´s shirt had partially dried into three inches of deep and painful scratch marks around his entire left wrist. When Bruce had pulled away the sleeve a few of the wounds opened up again and threatened to bleed onto Bruce´s hand in Tony´s.

They both knew Bruce wouldn´t ask so Tony answered right away.

„I do it in my sleep. My mind is running wild with the tremor from the tendon." Tony´s usually clear voice was almost inaudible in shame.

„Do you have a first aid kit around here? And disinfectant?"

„In my bathroom."

Bruce let Tony go and quickly grabbed him a kitchen towel off the bar counter. He softly held it to his wrist for Tony to press against the bleeding.

„Go sit on the couch", he said to a now lightly shivering Tony.

Then he went through Tony´s bedroom to the en-suite where he leaned against the cool tiles with his back and took a few deep breaths to push down the anger and the fear and the tears he´d been holding back. He loved this man so much. He wanted to wipe it all away, take all of this shit and bathe Tony in happiness but he knew he couldn´t. It made him nauseous to realize it.

He peeled himself away from the wall and pulled a dusty first aid kit and a bottle of disinfectant from the messy mirror cabinet to take it out to Tony.

Very gently he wiped over the scratches and held Tony´s hand tight as he flinched every so often. They sat in complete silence, Bruce kneeling in front of Tony. As Bruce cautiously wrapped the bandage around the wrist he felt Tony´s other hand softly land on his shoulder. He couldn´t believe it. Tony Stark, a man battered from torture, loss, lovelessness and trauma, was sitting across from him with open eyes and ready to trust him. Him, the most insecure, most unstable, most untrustworthy person on earth.

„Ok. Done", Bruce whispered. He had no air with Tony so close to him, his mind going crazy with the scent of the genius.

Tony was nervous. Never had Tony been nervous before this. But he didn´t know. He knew about Betty Ross but nothing else. What if Bruce was just really really straight?

When Bruce looked up, Tony pressed a soft, very light kiss to his lips. His mind couldn´t quite grasp it but he leaned into the kiss and let his hands rest on Tony´s thigh and the arm he had laid on Bruce´s shoulder.

Tony finally closed his eyes. It was the first moment of joy he had experienced since... well, a long time ago. He still couldn´t quite understand why or how he could let go now. All he knew was that it had brought him this. Bruce´s soft lips against his, his breath mingling with his own, his scent almost completely blocking out the pain and the fear. He slipped closer and over the edge right on top of Bruce.

Bruce had a hard time catching up with what was happening. He was lost in the sensation of feeling Tony so close to him. This beautiful, brave, strong man, letting him in at this most vulnerable moment. His heart was overflowing with the joy of it and he leaned in closer, picked up the kiss a bit more intensely, wrapping an arm around Tony´s waist, pressing him close. Tony was shivering with everything he had been feeling over the last few hours, the last twenty minutes probably being enough to exhaust him already on top of the sleep deprivation.

Tony was playing with the thought but then decided not to bring tongues into play. Tongues would lead to sex and he was nowhere near ready for sex. Not after... He couldn´t even think of it. He wouldn´t let it ruin this. Not with Bruce. He was with Bruce.

They stayed in their tight embrace for a long while, Tony leaning against the couch with Bruce´s secure arm around his waist, Bruce enjoying the feeling of Tony´s fingers lightly combing through his hair. They stayed like that after their kissing had subsided, after Bruce had loosened his embrace a bit, after Tony´s tears had dried. Both men only took in each other´s scent, storing away the feeling of the other´s cheek next to their own into the mental box of most precious memories.

Finally Bruce pulled away, pulled Tony up with him.

He wordlessly led Tony by his hands to the doors and into the hallway until he noticed that he had never actually been to Tony´s bedroom and didn´t know the way there. Which was when they came to a short halt and Tony let go of one hand, holding on to the other to turn his back to Bruce and lead him on into his dark bedroom.

The encounter was full of insecurity. On both parts. It had been two months since the Hulk had busted Tony out and Tony was still recovering. Bruce was unsure wether or not Tony expected sex after such an innocent moment in the living room. Tony had no idea how to ask Bruce to stay, now that he had finally brought up the courage to acknowledge his want, no, his need for Bruce next to him during the sleep he so desperately had to catch up on, he frantically searched for a way to communicate his wish.

So Bruce decided to give Tony every opportunity he wanted. He slid close to Tony, standing by the bed. They had both silently agreed to solve this without words, they didn´t need them nor want them. Bruce softly touched the hem of Tony´s wrinkled shirt, sliding his hands onto the bare skin underneath. From here he would let Tony decide what to do.

Tony stripped Bruce from his shirt, then led his hands on to unbuttoning his own and softly caress his shoulders while stripping it down. The moment Bruce carefully pulled the sleeve over the bandage the decision was crystal clear to both of them.

Tony flopped exhaustedly into Bruce´s shoulder and Bruce wrapped his hands around Tony tightly. None of them paid a single thought to the way Bruce´s hands slid over all the scars on Tony´s back.

Finally Tony pulled Bruce down into the sheets and let himself be held in the security of Bruce´s hairy chest.

Still just a little bit nervous about the lurking nightmares, Tony finally felt sleep claim him after quite a while of listening to Bruce´s even breathing.

* * *

He felt Tony stir rapidly next to him mere three hours after falling asleep. Had he not heard a consequent scrutinizing scratching noise, he wouldn´t have been so highly alerted. Not wanting to send the shivering man next to him into a full panic attack when being ripped from a nightmare, he gently reached around Tony´s torso and softly laced his fingers with the hand trying to rip away the fresh bandage and anything underneath. He then led the violently shaking injured hand to lie above the reactor scar. Somehow he had a feeling Tony would want to protect t even though it wasn´t there anymore.

When he felt Tony respond well to the new position, he pulled him even closer to him, Tony´s back resting against his chest. He wiped the cold sweat from Tony´s forehead and earned a relaxed moan from the unconscious Tony. When he slid his warm hand over Tony´s forehead again and into his hair line he noticed his breathing slightly evening out. So he continued.

He tenderly brushed Tony´s hair out of his forehead for a few long minutes until the other man had calmed down completely and was sleeping soundly against his chest.

Then suddenly, Tony blinked awake.

He struggled out of the other man´s hold who let him go immediately, of course. Then Tony turned around and croaked a single question.

„Bruce?"

Bruce pushed himself up into half-sitting position in response.

„Shit. Did I wake you? Did I yell? I´m sorry."

„No need to apologize."

„I didn´t want to wake you, I shouldn´t be bothering you so much, I am so sorry, this was a bad idea, I´m sorry."

Tony´s nervous mumbling was still slurry from sleep and alcohol but he seemed to have sobered up just enough to doubt his courage in letting Bruce in.

Bruce needed to stop him before his fears ruined everything gained only hours before.

„Tony, calm down."

And Tony stopped the nervous rant and listened. Which was a surprise. But Bruce had no time to loose to be surprised right now.

„I know, you want me to leave. I am not going to leave. I don´t want you to leave either. So please, Tony, just lie back down with me and go back to sleep."

Tony let it sink in a moment. Yet he didn´t seem to be fully persuaded.

„This is totally okay and totally normal and you are not burden, Tony, never. I am so glad you are letting be here. I have wanted nothing more over the last two months than to be here and to support you."

Tony was dumbstruck. Never in his life had he expected something as freaky as this. Someone wanting to be there when he was having nightmares, no, not just someone, Bruce!

He felt tears well up and let out a shuddering breath.

Bruce quickly reached for him and pulled him back into the pillows. Being held so closely only opened the gates more for his tears.

Shit. Having cried twice in 12 hours and this person was still there. Holding him. Shit. Tony wasn´t used t this. Then again, he suspected, this was new to Bruce quite as much. He was so grateful. But he couldn´t express it, not yet at least. He was just letting go of all the pain and the fear and cherished the moment he had been given, to be able to be protected and understood, just this once.


End file.
